#dronesforgood

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Maharashtra govt, India, plans to deliver emergency medicines through drones

Zipline drones will make on-demand and emergency deliveries of blood products, vaccines and life-saving medications

Workers pack a box of vaccines to be delivered by a Zipline drone in Ghana | Photo: Reuters

After African countries like Ghana and Rwanda, now the Maharashtra government is also planning to deliver emergency medicines through drones. The service, expected to be launched in early 2020, will be operated by California-based automated logistics firm Zipline.

Announcing the partnership with Zipline, the world’s first and only national-scale drone delivery service, the state government said the initiative will be supported through a grant from Serum Institute of India (SII), a leading vaccine manufacturer.

An autonomous delivery drone-based logistics network will be established by Zipline. A total of 10 distribution centres are planned across Maharashtra in phases over the next few years. The new initiative is a part of the state government’s vision of using drone delivery to establish universal seven-days-a-week access to lifesaving and critical medicines which will reach to its 120 million citizens over the coming years.

Zipline drones will make on-demand and emergency deliveries of blood products, vaccines and life-saving medications. In the first phase, two distribution centres located near Pune and Nandurbar will be established to service public health facilities in those regions beginning in early 2020. The operations in Pune and Nandurbar will be financed through a grant from SII. Future distribution centres will be financed by the government of Maharashtra and other private and philanthropic partners, the state government statement here said.

To increase access and reduce medicial waste, key stock of blood products, vaccines and life-saving medications will be stored at distribution centres for just-in-time delivery. Health workers will place orders by text message or call and promptly receive their deliveries in 30 minutes on average.

“The drones both take off from and land at Zipline’s distribution centres, requiring no additional infrastructure or manpower at the clinics they serve.

They fly autonomously and can carry 1.8 kilos of cargo, cruising at 110 kilometres an hour, and have a round-trip range of 160 kilometres — even in high speed winds and rain,” the statement said.

Each of the two distribution centres in Maharashtra will cover a delivery area of more than 20,000 square km. They will collectively be capable of serving up to 20 million people. Deliveries are made from the sky, with the drone descending to a safe height above the ground and releasing a box of medicine by parachute to a designated spot at the health centres it serves.

“Maharashtra has one of the best healthcare systems in India. This new emergency service is a great solution to deliver vaccines, blood and other lifesaving products instantly when time is of essence. It will help ensure that millions of people in Maharashtra will always get the care they need,” said Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

Zipline CEO Keller Rinaudo said millions of people die every year across the world because they cannot get the medicine they need when they need it. “Instant drone delivery can help solve that problem,” he added. The Goldman Sachs, Sequoia Capital, Katalyst Ventures, Temasek, Toyota Tsusho Corporation, Stanford University backed firm’s goal is to serve 700 million people across the world in the next five years.

The firm’s operations started in October of 2016 to deliver blood to 21 hospitals in Rwanda. Since then, the service has expanded nationwide covering most of the country’s 12 million population by drone delivery of medical products at 450 facilities. In April 2019, Zipline partnered with the government of Ghana to launch the first of four distribution centres that will serve 2,000 health facilities and a population of 12 million people across the country.

SII’s CEO Adar Poonawalla felt that the initiative would create deeper impact and extend the immunisation cover in the state.Flying high

  • An autonomous delivery drone-based logistics network will be established
  • 10 distribution centres to be set up in phases across Maharashtra over the next few years
  • Drones will make on-demand, emergency deliveries of vaccines, life-saving medications
  • In the 1st phase, 2 distribution centres located near Pune and Nandurbar will be established
  • The operations will be financed through a grant from Serum Institute of India

Sohini Das  |  Mumbai Last Updated at September 17, 2019 01:15 IST

Business Standard

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Telangana May Use Drones To Deliver Blood and Medicines

Telangana government will team up with the World Economic Forum and Apollo Hospitals foundation for the pilot project to test drone delivery.

Telangana may soon start using drones for medical puproses. (Representational)

NEW DELHI: In a bid to improve access to health care for communities across the state, the Telangana government has adopted a new framework to use drones for last-mile delivery.

Co-designed with the World Economic Forum (WEF) and Apollo Hospitals Group company Healthnet Global Ltd, it will become the foundation for the pilot project to test drone delivery, according to a release by the WEF.

“Adopting this framework brings Telangana one step closer to rolling out a system that could save lives. It outlines what challenges drones can solve, how to oversee operations and how to implement them. We are looking forward to the next steps of this project,” said Timothy Reuter, head of aerospace and drones, at the World Economic Forum.

The framework outlines the key factors in evaluating drone operations and the technical requirements for each use case. It will ensure that government services are used as efficiently as possible and will serve as the starting point for discussions with civil aviation authorities.

Telangana IT Minister K T Rama Rao said the state has been a pioneer in using technology for improving the lives of the citizens. “Using drones to deliver blood and other medical goods to people in remote and inaccessible areas is an exemplary project that demonstrates use of technology for the social good.”

Apollo Hospitals Group Joint Managing Director Sangita Reddy said, “We are happy working with the World Economic Forum and the Government of Telangana, as a clinical partner in this drones project, which I am sure is the next step in our journey of remote health care delivery.”

This framework is part of the Drones and Tomorrow’s Airspace Portfolio, run out of the World Economic Forum Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution India.

Telangana | Press Trust of India | Updated: October 04, 2019 17:20 IST
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An update on the trees planted by drones

And it’s Good News!

 

These tree-planting drones are firing ‘seed missiles’ into the ground. Less than a year later, they’re already 20 inches tall.

10 drones can plant 400,000 trees in a day — enough to combat climate change in real

Technology is the single greatest contributor to climate change but it may also soon be used to offset the damage we’ve done to our planet since the Industrial Age began.

In September 2018, a project in Myanmar used drones to fire “seed missiles” into remote areas of the country where trees were not growing. Less than a year later, thousands of those seed missiles have sprouted into 20-inch mangrove saplings that could literally be a case study in how technology can be used to innovate our way out of the climate change crisis.

“We now have a case confirmed of what species we can plant and in what conditions,” Irina Fedorenko, co-founder of Biocarbon Engineering, told Fast Company. “We are now ready to scale up our planting and replicate this success.”

According to Fedoranko, just two operators could send out a mini-fleet of seed missile planting drones that could plant 400,000 trees a day — a number that quite possibly could make massive headway in combating the effects of manmade climate change.

The drones were designed by an ex-NASA engineer. And with a pressing need to reseed an area in Myanmar equal to the size of Rhode Island, the challenge is massive but suddenly within reach. Bremley Lyngdoh, founder and CEO of World Impact, says reseeding that area could theoretically house as many as 1 billion new trees.

“Obviously, planting a billion trees will take a long time without the help of drones,” Lyngdoh told Fast Company.

But they’ve now got a powerful new ally in their corner. For context, it took the Worldview Foundation 7 years to plant 6 million trees in Myanmar. Now, with the help of the drones, they hope to plant another 4 million before the end of 2019.

Myanmar is a great case study for the project. In addition to the available land for the drone project, the nation has been particularly hit by the early effects of climate change in recent years. Rising sea levels are having a measurable impact on the population. In addition to their ability to clear CO2 from the atmosphere, healthy trees can also help solidify the soil, which can reduce the kind of soil erosion that has been affecting local populations in Myanmar.

Going forward, technologies like seed-planting drones could help stem the tide of catastrophic climate change while our governments and societies work to change the habits of consumers and corporations that are driving the problem. Our endless hunger for new technology may be the driving force behind climate change and deforestation but it could also end up being the solution to a problem.

 

4/10/2019

Good Is

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Drones Delivers Books to rural part of Indonesia

Drones can help to narrow the inequality gap between rural and urban areas.

 

https://www.facebook.com/WEFvideo/videos/390689581690001/

 

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Spain deploys drones to monitor traffic blackspots

Drones will gather evidence on driving offences and assist emergency services

The DGT is buying 20 more drones to be used for patrols and traffic control.  Spain’s traffic authorities are deploying drones to help tackle drivers breaking the law as the annual August exodus begins.

The General Directorate of Traffic (DGT) said it had 11 drones, three of which had been certified by the Spanish Meteorological Centre to gather evidence.

The remote-controlled aircraft will monitor areas where accidents frequently happen and roads used by large numbers of cyclists, motorcyclists and pedestrians. They will also be used at large events that cause heavy traffic and to assist the emergency services.

Photographic evidence gathered by the certified drones will be sent to civil guard traffic officers as soon as offences are committed, or relayed later to the relevant authorities.

“In the early days of August, the three [certified] drones will be in the Canaries, where we don’t have helicopters, so we can cover things,” said a DGT spokesman. “After that they’ll be sent wherever they’re needed. There’s no set plan yet. The other eight will also be deployed wherever they’re needed depending on traffic flows.”

The DGT said it was in the process of buying 20 more drones to be used for patrols and traffic control.

It expects 47m long-distance trips will be made as Spain enters the summer holiday period. On Wednesday and Thursday of this week alone, the DGT estimates 2.9m long journeys will be undertaken – twice the average for the summer period.

“Although 1 August is still the day when thousands of people begin their holidays, recent years have seen people choosing to break up their vacations and enjoy shorter periods away,” the directorate said. “That’s why the DGT will be deploying special traffic teams every weekend during the summer to assist drivers with their needs.”

 in Madrid for The Guardian 

1st August 2019
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Met to become first UK force to deploy drone to monitor road users

UAV will focus on road users engaged in dangerous driving such as racing, say police.

The Metropolitan police will become the first British force to deploy a drone to monitor road users later this month.

The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) will focus on road users engaged in dangerous driving, such as racing, that could potentially put others at risk, rather than targeting all speeding motorists, according to the Met.

Once a suspect has been spotted, information will be relayed from the drone to officers further along the road so they can pull them over.

Police are keen to point out that the drone’s remit will be as much about deterrence as catching lawbreakers. The Met would not say whether more UAVs would be brought into service if the first proved to be a success, citing operational security.

Det Supt Andy Cox, the head of the Met’s roads and traffic policing unit, said: “This is one of many enforcement tactics being used. Its aim is to deter dangerous driving and we hope the message of ‘drive lawfully, stay safe and keep a clean licence’ is widely understood.

“However, deterrence is sometimes best achieved through intense enforcement and that’s what this capability enables.”

The drone has a night vision function and will be able to operate at both high and low altitudes.

Cox said: “The focus will be on dangerous drivers who are racing and those putting their lives and other people’s at risk.”

More than 60 people have been killed on London roads in 2019, with eight deaths in a five-day period last week. Cox is the Met’s lead on Sadiq Khan’s Vision Zero initiative, which aims to eliminate all deaths on the the capital’s roads by 2041.

In France, police have been using drones since 2017 to catch vehicles driving dangerously, such as trucks that are tailgating other vehicles or motorists who illegally overtake. Police in Bordeaux catch up to 20 vehicles an hour, issuing them with on-the-spot fines.

8th July 2019

The Guardian

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Surrey Search & Rescue talk to Jason Bradbury about using drones

Dangerous Jobs: can tech make them safer?

 

Earlier in the year, ARPAS-UK was approached to help find people and companies to feature in the following podcast. We’re delighted that ARPAS-UK member, Surrey Search & Rescue were successful.

 

Listen to James Russell talk to Jason Bradbury and Stuart Witts about using drones in dangerous places with Surrey Search & Rescue. He’s the first person interviewed at about 3.25 minutes in.

 

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Brecon Mountain Rescue Team to use drones

Brecon Mountain Rescue Team has been authorised to use drones for searches.

Over the next 6-12 months the team’s 7 CAA licensed drone pilots will be developing a drone search and rescue service.

The team has been developing a waterproof search drone with the ability to lift small items and is due to take delivery shortly.

They say the drone under development will be able to deliver vital medical supplies, like a defibrillator, directly to a casualty site. The team is also hoping to develop techniques to guide and assist lost walkers making such operations less resource and time consuming.

https://www.itv.com/news/wales/2019-07-08/brecon-mountain-rescue-team-to-use-drones/
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ARPAS-UK Statement on the BBC Documentary: Britain’s Next Air Disaster? Drones?

ARPAS Statement – BBC 2 Documentary “Britain’s Next Air Disaster? Drones?” – Aired Mon 1 Jul 2019

 

ARPAS members have expressed deep concern and criticism of the BBC Two documentary, ‘Britain’s Next Air Disaster? Drones?’, which aired on Monday 1 July 2019 and which focussed heavily on the illegal and malevolent use of drones in UK airspace, exaggerated the risks and presented a one-sided view that has the potential to harm the livelihood of ARPAS members.

 

ARPAS acknowledges that mid-air collision, unauthorised flight within restricted and sensitive airspace as well as deliberate nefarious use, are the most credible causes of a serious incident involving a drone but a balanced assessment of risk is always a combination of severity and likelihood. ARPAS believes the programme overemphasised the former and neglected to realistically assess the latter.

 

As a public service broadcaster, the BBC has a responsibility to provide its viewers with balanced reporting which, on this occasion, we believe it failed to do. ARPAS is the UK’s trade association representing the unmanned aviation industry and we would hope that in the future, programme makers ask us to contribute in order to gain a more balanced view.

 

ARPAS vigorously supports the legal, safe and legitimate uses of drones and strongly believes this represents the vast majority of recreational users and all the commercial users amongst its members for whom it will continue to advocate.

 

ARPAS has raised a complaint with the BBC and contacted BBC Points of View. We encourage you to do the same.

 

Links:

BBC Complaints

BBC Points of View

 

Contact:

media@arpas.uk

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Wainfleet Flooding: Police Drone Monitoring

Late last week, the equivalent of about two months’ rain fell in two days, forcing 1,000 people out of their homes – about half the population – and flooding nearly 130 properties in the Wainfleet, Lincolnshire, UK.

As the rain fell, it became crucial to the Environment Agency and the Emergency Services to map the flooding and monitor the River Steeping. The River broke its banks on Wednesday 12th June.

More than 340 tonnes of ballast were dropped by RAF helicopters to shore up a breach in the wall of the River Steeping after it burst its banks on Wednesday.

High-volume pumps were deployed by the Environment Agency to move the water away from the local area and into the catchment area for the River Haven near Boston.

However, more rain is expected on Tuesday and Wednesday and the MET Office has issued a yellow weather warning.

Lincolnshire Police have operated drones for a few years now, to support their more traditional means of policing Lincolnshire. They have been used to great effect, locating missing persons, finding those who run from RTCs, assisting with crowd dynamics, burglaries, and more. They also have thermal imaging capabilities, which are ideal for night flying too. They are also conducting Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) training for many scenarios too.

On June 15th at 16:15, an Emergency Restriction of Flight was put in place in the area of Wainfleet and Thorpe Saint Peters from the surface to 2000ft. This applied to all manned and unmanned aircraft. The UK’s Civil Aviation Authority were able to put this into effect with only 30 minutes warning. Those needed to support the operation were given authority to fly, while all others were ordered to stay away to ensure the safety and smooth running of the operation.  We will see these quick notice NOTAMs (Notice to Airmen) appear more often as drones usage increases too.

The Linolnshire Police Operators monitored the situation all through the night and all the next day.  The ERF was lifted on Monday 17th June at 11am.

Lincolnshire Police use the Aeryon R60 Skyranger, which – as you may have worked out – can fly in the rain and relatively high winds.

 

While much of this could have been done by helicopter, and they were used by the RAF to deposit the sandbags, drones offer a highly cost effective means to monitoring, meaning resources are stretched further to provide better support to the people of Lincolnshire.

 

Congratulations to a well run operation and thank you for all your hard work.  #DronesForGood

 

Lincolnshire Police Drones Twitter: @LincsCOPter